


Speed Bump

by ladydragon76



Series: Reckless Sparks [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24775768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragon76/pseuds/ladydragon76
Summary: Summary:Hot Rod and Deadlock had A Thingtmback in the early days of the war.  It was illicit.  It was fragging treason, actually, but they weren't the only ones.  But now Hot Rod is Rodimus, and Deadlock is Drift, and they're so very, very different than they once were when affiliation badges were hidden for the sake of illegal street races and equally hard and fast frags in dark alleys.  What does the future hold for them?
Relationships: Drift | Deadlock/Rodimus | Rodimus Prime
Series: Reckless Sparks [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1737340
Comments: 12
Kudos: 63





	Speed Bump

**Author's Note:**

> **'Verse:** IDW  
>  **Series:** Reckless Sparks  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Characters:** Hot Rod/Deadlock, Rodimus/Drift  
>  **Warnings:** Sticky, Taking liberties with canon timelines, discussion which hints at past non-con but nothing explicit in this one,  
>  **Notes:** Tier Reward fic, and continues directly from the last one.

It started as nothing.

They were all in the rec room- 'Wreck Room' as the plaque on the door had been colorfully edited to say, and Rodimus was happily making a nuisance of himself. As usual. He annoyed Springer by plopping himself into his lap and stealing a rust stick. Then he moved on to Whirl to see which of them could drive the other into snapping first.

It was Twin Twist.

Then he draped himself over Drift's lap, snuggled in, and said, "I could use a frag."

The storm had gathered so fast on Drift's face that Rodimus barely had the time to think, 'Uh oh!', before he was clattering to the floor, unceremoniously dumped there.

Drift was gone.

Behind Rodimus, Whirl snickered. "Hey, I'm not good with social cues. Was that a no?"

Rodimus frowned and stood up to dust himself off. He hadn't thought their history was a secret or anything. In fact, Rodimus had already told the others that he knew Drift back when he was Deadlock. That they'd raced. Rodimus had felt he'd needed to tell them that, so they understood the dynamics. A mech couldn't be a Wrecker and not know the nuances between themselves and everyone else. And everyone else needed to know too. Not if they all wanted to walk back out of the impossible once again.

"Leave him," Springer huffed when Rodimus started for the door.

"No." Rodimus had to know how he'd fragged up. And Drift had to understand how their squad functioned. If interfacing was off the table, fine. But he had to know before the next mission that he and Drift were ok.

And how not to upset Drift again.

Rodimus found Drift in his room, and for a moment thought the door was going to be shut in his face, but then Drift stepped back to let him in. "Look, I'm sorry I upset you, but you've gotta know that they all already know that we used to clang. If you don't want to anymore, cool. I mean, I'd sure like to, but, I'm not gonna be a glitch about it if you don't."

Drift blinked. "What?"

Rodimus looked at him. "Ok." He scrubbed at the back of his helm and asked, "So why'd you dump me on the floor?"

"I'm not a fraggin' buymech anymore."

"Yeah. Me either."

Drift just stared a moment. "What?"

"I'm not a buymech anymore either," Rodimus said. "I still don't get why, if it's not our history, you dumped me on the floor and ran off."

"I didn't run off!"

"You so ran off, but that's beside the point."

Drift glared for a moment, lips thinned as he pressed them tight together. That was definitely a new thing. The Deadlock Rodimus remembered never shied back from saying anything, even if it was the wrong thing. "I thought you were propositioning me."

"Well, I was, but I planned to pay in returned pleasure, not creds," Rodimus replied with a helpless flop of his arms. "I mean... What? Where did that even come from?"

"You used to be a buymech?"

"Answering with a question isn't answering," Rodimus recited- Ultra Magnus liked to say it. "But yeah. I mean, who in the gutters wasn't at some point?"

Drift just stared for a minute before his shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "I overreacted."

"Ok, but why?" Rodimus asked. "I mean, I don't want to just go around upsetting you all the time, so like, what'd I do wrong?"

With a sigh, Drift scrubbed his hands over his face. "Nothing. I just... for a minute there forgot who I was dealing with. I know you didn't mean anything by it."

"Well, I meant it as an offer to frag."

Drift shot Rodimus a _look_ , but that shifted to a somewhat defeated expression. "Look. 'Cons came from all castes, right? But everyone looks down on a gutterling buymech."

"That sucks. But like, the mechs here, if they invite you to clang, it's cuz they wanna clang, not because they want... serviced," Rodimus said with a little bit of a sneer. He stepped closer so he could catch Drift's arm and tug him to sit on the edge of the berth. "And we get to say no here," he added more softly and seriously. "No one's going to keep energon from us. No one's going to force us. And, Drift? If anyone tries, you tell me or Kup right away, cuz that mech's no Wrecker."

Drift nodded.

"Am I forgiven?" Rodimus asked, grinning and bumping his shoulder against Drift's.

"Not really anything to forgive."

Rodimus' smile grew. "Yeah? Wanna frag then?"

Drift laughed, planted his hand over Rodimus' face, and pushed.

**Author's Note:**

> [CLICK HERE](https://ladydragon76.dreamwidth.org/334490.html) to learn more about me!
> 
> This story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:  
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